Advance photo/Jamie LeeThe existence of nine cell phone towers on top of the Our Lady Star of the Sea gymnasium in Huguenot has led to a growth of parental concern over health issues.

HUGUENOT -- Despite a host of governmental and private scientific studies, definitive conclusions regarding the effects of electromagnetic fields on the human body, much less on the body of a child, have not been reached.

What is certain, however, is that growing parental concern over the placement of radio antennas atop school buildings has continued to pick up steam.

And with that opposition especially strong on the South Shore, nine Sprint antennas anchored to the roof of the gymnasium at Our Lady Star of the Sea have found themselves squarely in the crosshairs.

"There are doubts in the minds of a lot of parents about them," said Monsignor Jeffrey P. Conway, who OK'ed the antennas' installation five years ago after approval from the Archdiocese of New York. "I'm not convinced that they cause problems for children or for adults, but there are certainly a lot of doubts in people's minds. Because of that, we would like the towers off."

According to Monsignor Conway, the situation appeared to be a "win-win" at first, generating additional revenue for the school and parish without having to increase tuition.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules in no way prohibited the cell tower, comprised of both transmitters and receivers, from being installed atop the building.

"There was no study at the time that indicated there would be any problem," Monsignor Conway said. "Everything fell within FCC guidelines, and that's the only reason the archdiocese or the parish would have allowed it."

However, the results of a BioInitiative Report that questioned acceptable federal limits for cell phone and wireless tower radiation levels changed the climate.

"The FCC standards for exposure to radiofrequency radiation are based on the height, weight and stature of a 6-foot-tall man, not scaled to children or adults of smaller stature," noted Dr. David Carpenter in a report prepared for the study.

"They do not take into account the unique susceptibility of growing children to exposures nor are there studies of particular relevance to children."

In fact, Dr. Carpenter, director of the University of Albany's Institute for Health and the Environment, went so far to say that electromagnetic fields "may be considered both carcinogenic and neurotoxic."

A public outcry after the BioInitiative report led to the pulling of three Citywide Radio Network antennas from the roof of Totten Intermediate School in May, and Huguenot parents became increasingly worried about possible negative side effects on their children.

"We want to be proactive rather than reactive," said one of the 160 OLSS parents who signed a petition opposing the antennas last week. "We were told about the safety of things like tobacco and asbestos years ago, and look at what happened with them. This just isn't a healthy situation for (the children)."

Unfortunately public outcry may not carry the same weight in this case, because the contract is with a private property owner - not the city.

The voices of those parents, most of whom were unaware of the antennas' installation or did not have children enrolled at the school in 2003, have finally reached some important ears, though.

"We are aware of the concern of the parents and looking into the terms of the contract for alternatives to where it is placed," said Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese.

OLSS is currently locked in a 12-year contract with Sprint, and a withdrawal from that agreement may be both difficult and costly.

A spokesman for Sprint was unable to comment on the OLSS situation, but said that as "cell site locations are determined by areas that need coverage and customers who indicate they want better service in the areas that they live and work," it would appear that Sprint would still need a suitable alternative in the area if the withdrawal were approved.

Some local politicians have stepped in to try to find a solution.

In a letter sent to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, city Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) and state Assemblyman Lou Tobacco (R-South Shore) acknowledged that they were "well aware of the federal, state and city regulations that govern the placement of cellular towers."

The lawmaqkers requested the removal nonetheless, and offered to work with Sprint's "telecommunications engineers to find a suitable alternative, and aid them in expediting any land-use issues."